Community Justice

We are committed to engaging communities and harnessing the power of the justice system to address local problems and improve public safety.

The Center for Court created the first community court in 1993. Located a short walk from New York City’s Times Square, the Midtown Community Court works with people in the neighborhood to tailor creative responses to local concerns. Since then, we have worked to bring the idea of community justice to other New York City neighborhoods (Red Hook, Harlem, Brownsville, and others), and to jurisdictions around the world that are interested in reinvigorating public trust in justice, reducing the use of incarceration and forging new responses to minor offending. We have also helped launch the Community Court Grant Program, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

We have also worked to spread the idea of community justice beyond courts. For example, we have worked with prosecutors to encourage them to not only prosecute cases, but to solve public safety problems, prevent crime, and improve public trust in justice. Rather than simply tallying cases won and sentences imposed, prosecutors should measure the effect of their work on quality of life, community attitudes, and crime. To support such efforts, we work with local prosecutors and national experts such as the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and Fair and Just Prosecution.

Initiatives

Community Court Grant Program

The Community Court Grant Program seeks to support the creation, enhancement, and evaluation of community-focused courts across the country.
Bronx Community Solutions

Bronx Community Solutions applies a problem-solving approach to non-violent cases in the Bronx, providing judges with alternatives to jail and fines.
Brownsville Community Justice Center

The Brownsville Community Justice Center works to reduce crime and incarceration, and strengthen community trust in justice in central Brooklyn.
Harlem Community Justice Center

The Harlem Community Justice Center works to increase housing stability, engage young people in their community, and help individuals returning from prison transition home.
International Community Court Conferences

We host an international conference every two years dedicated to innovations in community justice. Our most recent event took place in Birmingham, Ala., in May 2018.
Midtown Community Court

The Midtown Community Court is one of the country's first problem-solving courts. It provides alternatives to fines and jail as a response to low-level crime.
Newark Community Solutions

Newark Community Solutions applies a problem-solving approach to low-level cases in Newark, New Jersey’s municipal courthouse.
Red Hook Community Justice Center

The nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court, the Red Hook Community Justice Center seeks to solve neighborhood problems in southwest Brooklyn.

Publications & Digital Media

Audio
Renewing Justice: When the Library Becomes a Community Court

by Matthew Watkins

Since 2016, the community court in Eugene, Oregon, has met every week in the downtown library. It's part of an effort getting a lot of attention on the West Coast to bring problem-solving justice to friendlier settings. On our 'New Thinking' podcast, hear about Eugene's success with the new model.

Community Justice, Diversion, Problem-Solving Justice
Book
Start Here: A Road Map to Reducing Mass Incarceration

by Greg Berman and Julian Adler

Written by Greg Berman, director of the Center for Court Innovation, and Julian Adler, director of policy and research, Start Here from The New Press offers a road map of concrete actions to reduce the number of people sent to jail and prison, highlighting key lessons from successful programs across the country.

Bail Reform, Community Justice, Diversion, Reducing Violence, Risk Assessment
Video
'They Treated Me Like a Person': Inside the Red Hook Community Justice Center

The Red Hook Community Justice Center has become an international model of justice reform by implementing innovative strategies that have reduced the use of jail, lowered recidivism and strengthened public confidence in justice.

Community Justice, Problem-Solving Justice

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News

Ontario Announces Three New Community Justice Centres

April 26, 2018
CBC

Inspired by our Red Hook Community Justice Center, Ontario is preparing to implement three similar justice centers of its own with an eye on reducing recidivism and strengthening public trust in justice. We're honored to be assisting the province in its planning process.
Ontario's Community Justice Hubs Inspired by Red Hook, Brooklyn

April 21, 2018
Toronto Star

Canada's largest daily newspaper reports on our work assisting Ontario implement three new community justice "hubs," a model inspired by the success of our Red Hook Community Justice Center.
Book Maps New Path for Criminal Justice Reform

March 21, 2018
WNYC

New York Public Radio's Midday interviews Julian Adler, co-author with Greg Berman of Start Here, the new book laying out concrete, proven strategies for reducing incarceration and telling the stories of the people who benefit from them.

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We work with reformers around the world.

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